How to Write 硅 (guī) — Meaning “Silicon”

Picture the left side 石 as a piece of rock, and the right side 圭 as two stacked jade tablets, because silicon is a common element in rocks and can form shiny, crystal-like wafers. Imagine a 'rock with jade layers' to recall both the meaning and the pronunciation guī. This visual helps you connect silicon's natural source (stone) with its high-tech use (silicon chips).

Write the radical 石 first with three strokes: horizontal, left-falling, then a short horizontal and a vertical for the mouth part. The right side 圭 is written with two 土 stacked: first a horizontal, vertical, horizontal (top 土), then a horizontal, vertical, horizontal (bottom 土) — total 6 strokes for 圭, making 11 for the character. A common mistake is making the two 土 parts uneven in width; keep them aligned and roughly the same size.

硅 (guī, silicon) uses the 石 radical with 圭, while 砂 (shā, sand) uses 石 with 少 (few/small) — so 砂 means tiny stone particles. 砉 (huā or xū) has 石 with 丰 (abundant) and 匕 (spoon) — it is a rare character for a cracking sound, not a mineral. Visually, focus on the right side: 硅 has two 土 layers, 砂 has 少, and 砉 has a different top part.

Common words containing 硅 include: 硅谷 (guī gǔ) — Silicon Valley; 硅片 (guī piàn) — Silicon wafer; 硅胶 (guī jiāo) — Silica gel.